Source: Economic Daily
No matter where you are in the UK, if you walk down the road, you can see people holding paper packets with chips in tomato sauce and large pieces of fried fish packed with lemon juice. That's right, that's Fish & Chips – the UK's "national dish" that topped the list in a 2012 survey called "What do you think best represents Britain", beating out Beatles, British afternoon tea and Buckingham Palace.
Why are fish and chips, two seemingly simple foods, become Britain's national dish? Many foreigners say that they "can't understand" this question. But for the British, fish and chips represent more than just a taste, there is a deeper reason behind it.
The choice of history
In fact, fish and chips don't go together in the first place.
According to records, fried fish was brought to England by Jewish immigrants from Spain or Portugal around the 16th century, mostly from cod. From the 17th century, thanks to the gradual lifting of the local "Jewish ban", fish fries began to appear in many parts of London. By 1785, Watt's improved steam engine was put into service in the factory, and the Industrial Revolution broke out. As the world's factory at the time, a large number of manual workers in Britain urgently needed to find a food that was high in calories, low in price and convenient to eat, and fried fish on the street was their best choice. Since then, fried fish has become popular in the UK.
But opinions differ as to when fries became popular in the UK. The word fries can first be found in Dickens' 1859 book A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens describes in his book that chips are crude, coarsely cut and skinned potato fried fries. In 1861, Henry Mehew also mentioned fries. From the books of Dickens and Mayhew, it can be roughly inferred that the chips in fish and chips were accepted by many people during this period.
In the 19th century, the wave of the Industrial Revolution promoted the boom of train transportation, and fresh cod came to the more densely populated south-central region of England through the convenience of freight, which in turn began to affect people's eating habits. Since then, fish has ceased to be the exclusive preserve of people living in coastal areas.
It is said that around 1860, the first "official" combination of fish and chips was announced, and a specialized fish and chip shop was born. Londoners generally believe that in the early 60s of the 19th century, the fish and chip shop founded by Joseph Marin was the first professional fish and chip shop in the city.
By the beginning of the 20th century, shops or small windows with "Fish & Chips" plaques could be seen on the streets of England, and they became popular far faster than people imagined. According to records, by 1910, there were more than 25,000 fish and chip shops in the UK. By 1927, the number of stores had increased to about 35,000. Although the number of fish and chip "specialty shops" in the UK has now dwindled to around 10,500, it still far exceeds the number of other international fast food chains.
Enjoyment on the tip of the tongue
Thanks to the rapid development of transportation and cold chain technology, nowadays, people can not only eat fresh fish and meat in fish and chip shops, but also choose the variety of fish. You know, early fish and chip shops had "no choice" in the variety of fish, and the owner was already satisfied with the fish that had just arrived at the port every morning. Now, however, you can choose from real cod, haddock, halibut, dragonfish or red bream in fish and chip shops alone.
I clearly remember that during my school days in the UK, the first class meeting after the opening test was held in the fish and chip shop opposite the school library. This store is very close to the school and has a large number of customers, so it is also very popular. While waiting for food in the store, the owner chatted with us while laying out the plate: "Good fries must be freshly cut, first fry them quickly, fish them out, let them dry for a while, and then put them in hot oil and re-fry." The refried fries are crispy on the outside and glutinous on the inside, and taste best. ”
Among the many types of fried fish, cod is always the most popular. Because the cod meat is firm and not fishy, with lemon juice and tartar sauce, the crispy texture and rich layers are instantly intoxicating when you bite into it. It was also that time that made me understand why fish and chips are popular in the UK for different ages.
When it comes to tartar sauce, I have to say that this seasoned mayonnaise is a perfect match for fried fish.
With a satisfying first attempt, fish and chips became the best option for me to quickly solve dinner after a group discussion at the library.
Emotional bonds
Fish and chips are not only an everyday food for the British, but also contain a deep patriotic feeling.
During World War II, due to the German naval blockade of Britain, Britain experienced severe food shortages and had to implement a strict food rationing system. Because Britain produced its own potatoes, which were largely imported from overseas and could catch fish in relatively safe waters, fish and chips were not included in the planned supply list, and they became important sources of energy for people to sustain life in times of war. According to statistics, during World War II, the demand for fish and chips in the British increased by 30% compared to before the war.
There are also many legends about fish and chips circulating in the UK. One of the most famous is that during the Normandy landings in 1944, British soldiers used "fried fish" and "chips" as code words for mutual identification in order to distinguish friend from foe. It can be seen that fish and chips have become deeply ingrained in British culture and history.
However, the recent British "national dish" has not had a good time.
In the past two years, affected by high inflation, the price of labor and raw materials in the UK has soared, and the price of British food has soared at the fastest rate in 40 years, and the raw fish, potatoes, cooking oil, and even auxiliary flour used to make fish and chips are all rising in price. Coupled with the dry weather in the UK last summer, the potato harvest has decreased compared with previous years, and the "value" of potatoes has also risen. From the perspective of the external environment, after the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, Western countries, including the United Kingdom, have imposed multiple rounds of sanctions against Russia, and there has been a serious shortage of Russian cod and other important seafood supplies, which has further aggravated the price increase, and now the price of cod has risen from 8 pounds / kg that has remained unchanged for a long time to 14 pounds / kg.
As the price of raw materials skyrocketed, so did the price of fish and chips. A fish and chip that used to cost about £8.50 has now risen to £11.50. The UK's National Fish and Chip Federation says half of the UK's fish and chip shops will be at risk of closing in the next two years due to rising costs.
As soon as the news came out, the local media immediately took action and launched the "Save the National Cuisine" operation, hoping that British residents could increase the frequency of buying fish and chips and save more shops. Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish and Chips, also called on the British government to start developing a long-term strategy to help fish and chip shops tide over the difficulties.
It is no wonder that there is such a big reaction from all walks of life in the UK. After all, fish and chips have become a special emotional bond for the British. Keeping this delicacy alive for a long time is not only a legacy of food, but also a nostalgia for the old days. (Source: Economic Daily Author: Liu Chang)